Alexander Drueke's family says he has been missing for more than a week. Photo: Twitter
Alexander Drueke's family says he has been missing for more than a week. Photo: Twitter
Alexander Drueke's family says he has been missing for more than a week. Photo: Twitter
Alexander Drueke's family says he has been missing for more than a week. Photo: Twitter

Russian media show images reported to be US citizens captured in Ukraine


  • English
  • Arabic

Russian media outlets on Friday broadcast images of what they said were two US citizens captured while fighting for Ukraine, in what could be the first confirmation the duo had been taken prisoner.

The Izvestia newspaper showed a video clip of what it said was a brief interview with Andy Huynh, 27, while the RT channel posted an image of a man it identified as Alexander Drueke, 39, both from the US state of Alabama.

This image of Andy Tai Ngoc Huynh and Alex Drueke has been circulating social media, but has not been confirmed as authentic. Public Domain
This image of Andy Tai Ngoc Huynh and Alex Drueke has been circulating social media, but has not been confirmed as authentic. Public Domain

Family members said on Wednesday the two men had been missing in Ukraine for a week and that they feared they had been taken prisoner.

In a separate, six-second video posted on the Telegram messaging app, a bearded man with an American accent speaks into a camera and says: “My name is Alexander Drueke, I am against war.”

He repeated “I am against war” in Russian.

In another two-second video, the man that Izvestia identified as Mr Huynh also said “I am against war” in Russian.

The Russian defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the reports.

Pentagon officials have repeatedly urged US citizens not to travel to Ukraine to provide aid or to join the fight, saying that there are other ways to help.

Reuters contributed to this report

Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
%3Cp%3EHigh%20fever%20(40%C2%B0C%2F104%C2%B0F)%3Cbr%3ESevere%20headache%3Cbr%3EPain%20behind%20the%20eyes%3Cbr%3EMuscle%20and%20joint%20pains%3Cbr%3ENausea%3Cbr%3EVomiting%3Cbr%3ESwollen%20glands%3Cbr%3ERash%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The lowdown

Rating: 4/5

Small Victories: The True Story of Faith No More by Adrian Harte
Jawbone Press

Grand Slam Los Angeles results

Men:
56kg – Jorge Nakamura
62kg – Joao Gabriel de Sousa
69kg – Gianni Grippo
77kg – Caio Soares
85kg – Manuel Ribamar
94kg – Gustavo Batista
110kg – Erberth Santos

Women:
49kg – Mayssa Bastos
55kg – Nathalie Ribeiro
62kg – Gabrielle McComb
70kg – Thamara Silva
90kg – Gabrieli Pessanha

The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre turbo

Power: 181hp

Torque: 230Nm

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Starting price: Dh79,000

On sale: Now

Key recommendations
  • Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
  • Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
  • Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
  • More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
Key findings of Jenkins report
  • Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
  • Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
  • Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
  • Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
THE LOWDOWN

Romeo Akbar Walter

Rating: 2/5 stars
Produced by: Dharma Productions, Azure Entertainment
Directed by: Robby Grewal
Cast: John Abraham, Mouni Roy, Jackie Shroff and Sikandar Kher 

ESSENTIALS

The flights 

Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Mykonos, with a flight change to its partner airline Olympic Air in Athens. Return flights cost from Dh4,105 per person, including taxes. 

Where to stay 

The modern-art-filled Ambassador hotel (myconianambassador.gr) is 15 minutes outside Mykonos Town on a hillside 500 metres from the Platis Gialos Beach, with a bus into town every 30 minutes (a taxi costs €15 [Dh66]). The Nammos and Scorpios beach clubs are a 10- to 20-minute walk (or water-taxi ride) away. All 70 rooms have a large balcony, many with a Jacuzzi, and of the 15 suites, five have a plunge pool. There’s also a private eight-bedroom villa. Double rooms cost from €240 (Dh1,063) including breakfast, out of season, and from €595 (Dh2,636) in July/August.

Updated: June 17, 2022, 8:53 PM